βucharest Urban League of photographers for the Balkans

Recalling 2016 after an invitation to participate in a flash-mob project I couldn’t get my mind away from the tragic events of the war in Syria. Even though I didn’t eye-witnessed these events and their consequences, the images and videos brought to us by photojournalists have been so intense in the media.

They have shocked, moved and affected humanity. I searched in my photos to find how this might have affected me in taking unconsciously photos around the year. These photos are not from a specific project but just random photos taken in several places all away from the war. (Thanos Savvidis)

"Those men at the station as the ramps drop downWhere humanity lost is the only crippled sound".(Charles N Whittaker)

Visiting places like Auswitch and Birkenau is shocking but necessary to do. It is like a rebirth of humanity when you see the places thousands of people lost their lives in the cruelest way. The ghosts inhabit the area and try to reach your heart and mind, to make you understand and feel what it is like to be unhuman. (by Thanos Savvidis)

Silent there now, just ghosts.Maybe on rail track and in camp and the phantom.Echo of feet on the snow going tramp, tramp, tramp.(Terry Collett)

Undoubtedly the signs of subjectivity, imposition, oppression and tyranny that appeared over Europe during the last few years have been thrived and completed in the summer of 2015. Greece has been the ultimate arena where these hostile behaviors integrated into society. Austerity continuous and democracy is challenged.

Realistically, Greek dystopia is likely in the making. The question is whether the mother of Europe and civilization will inevitably fall in the gulch of a cataclysmic decline or will it find the power to rebuild its society (in Greece and in Europe) on the ashes of totalitarianism. The fight against dystopia begins intuitively from the individual who reacts to the decent and uncover ethos to fight back.

Each citizen can become a protagonist in leading to clashes and linking back to the values of democracy, respect, solidarity and humanity. Those values which will transform dystopia into utopia. (by Thanos Savvidis)